MIL collections letter - not my debt - what next?

hannahkaty

Grumpy_chap said:

OP - either 'do nothing' or pass the letter to the Letting Agent stating that you expect them to resolve this issue that is not yours to deal with.  Do not contact the debt collection company whatever you do.
They cannot take a court order or send bailiffs as that requires a name.  The Courts do not accept "Shell Energy v Owner Occupier XYZ"

Thanks all. Letter is in the bin!

MalMonroe

hannahkaty said:

Grumpy_chap said:

OP - either 'do nothing' or pass the letter to the Letting Agent stating that you expect them to resolve this issue that is not yours to deal with.  Do not contact the debt collection company whatever you do.
They cannot take a court order or send bailiffs as that requires a name.  The Courts do not accept "Shell Energy v Owner Occupier XYZ"

Thanks all. Letter is in the bin!

Doesn't anyone here watch 'Can't Pay, Won't Pay'???  The worrying thing is that the letter is addressed to "owner/occupier" which actually DOES mean you because aren't YOU the occupier?!! (Rhetorical question, sorry, YES you are.) Courts may not accept cases that read Shell versus Occuper owner BUT it won't take them long to find out who IS the occupier of that property.
 
Instead of putting the letter in the bin, why don't you just forward it to your landlord? Then if anything else happens, you know you have passed it on to the owner - landlord - and they can deal with it or throw it away as they think fit.

Ignoring this is sheer folly. I've seen many times where those bailiffs come and 'make peaceful entry' and nobody or nothing moves them until they get some cash. 

They DO have a legal right to do that. Please don't be silly.

adamp87

MalMonroe said:

hannahkaty said:

Grumpy_chap said:

OP - either 'do nothing' or pass the letter to the Letting Agent stating that you expect them to resolve this issue that is not yours to deal with.  Do not contact the debt collection company whatever you do.
They cannot take a court order or send bailiffs as that requires a name.  The Courts do not accept "Shell Energy v Owner Occupier XYZ"

Thanks all. Letter is in the bin!

Doesn't anyone here watch 'Can't Pay, Won't Pay'???  The worrying thing is that the letter is addressed to "owner/occupier" which actually DOES mean you because aren't YOU the occupier?!! (Rhetorical question, sorry, YES you are.) Courts may not accept cases that read Shell versus Occuper owner BUT it won't take them long to find out who IS the occupier of that property.
 
Instead of putting the letter in the bin, why don't you just forward it to your landlord? Then if anything else happens, you know you have passed it on to the owner - landlord - and they can deal with it or throw it away as they think fit.

Ignoring this is sheer folly. I've seen many times where those bailiffs come and 'make peaceful entry' and nobody or nothing moves them until they get some cash. 

They DO have a legal right to do that. Please don't be silly.

I’d pass the letter to the landlord/agent that’s good advice.

However MIL collections ARE NOT bailiffs and are just a powerless DCA.

 The fact the letter doesn’t have a name on it either suggests it’s phishing too.

Just because they are the owner or occupier doesn’t all mean they’d be responsible for the debt. The debt is with the named person the account was with.

sourcrates

MalMonroe said:

Doesn't anyone here watch 'Can't Pay, Won't Pay'???  The worrying thing is that the letter is addressed to "owner/occupier" which actually DOES mean you because aren't YOU the occupier?!! (Rhetorical question, sorry, YES you are.) Courts may not accept cases that read Shell versus Occuper owner BUT it won't take them long to find out who IS the occupier of that property.
 
Instead of putting the letter in the bin, why don't you just forward it to your landlord? Then if anything else happens, you know you have passed it on to the owner - landlord - and they can deal with it or throw it away as they think fit.

Ignoring this is sheer folly. I've seen many times where those bailiffs come and 'make peaceful entry' and nobody or nothing moves them until they get some cash. 

They DO have a legal right to do that. Please don't be silly.

I must respectfully point out, MIL are NOT bailiffs !!!!!!!!!

And those programs are heavily edited, you only see what they want you to see.

You cannot take action against "the occupier" nor can a debt be enforced against such a name, it must be a named debtor.

Its not the courts job to investigate anything, that`s down to due dilligence by the creditor.

MIL have no legal rights whatsoever, they are simply a bottom feeder debt collecton agency looking to make a quick buck, basically if its not your name on the letter, then its none of your damm buisness.

Ignoring it is the most sencible option as its nothing to do with the OP.

Taken from FCA consumer credit sourcebook CONC 7.9.11 G -

A firm which:

(1) threatens debt recovery action against the “occupier” of particular premises; or

(2) sends a payment demand to all persons sharing the same name and date of birth or address as the customer; is likely to contravene  CONC 7.9.10R.

CONC 7.9.10R 01/04/2014

A firm must not disclose details of a debt to an individual without first establishing, by suitably appropriate means, that the individual is (or acts on behalf of) the borrower or hirer under the relevant agreement).

ashleypride

Ignoring this is sheer folly. I've seen many times where those bailiffs come and 'make peaceful entry' and nobody or nothing moves them until they get some cash. 

They DO have a legal right to do that. Please don't be silly.

What scaremongering rubbish. 

MinuteNoodles

Not your problem. Pass it onto your landlord, it's their problem.

catlady197

hannahkaty said:

Hi all,
I live in a rented property, recently moved in (early Mach). Received a letter today which was addressed to 'Owner Occupier'. Wasn't sure if i should open it but did. It was a debt collection letter for Shell Energy from MIL collections. I haven't had an account with Shell Energy, and neither to my knowledge did the previous occupiers as I switched the account from SO Energy. 
I'm not sure what to do about this letter now? There's no name against the debt and it's not mine - i do not want debt collectors turning up at my door trying to collect debt, should i call them up to tell them that whoever's debt it was no longer lives here? Any advice gratefully received. Thanks

I am in the exact situation! I moved into rental accom March 2022, and moved out in June 2023. I constantly got mail for other people and would always write 'return to sender' and drop it back off. My landlord contacted me after I had moved out and said I needed to contact MIL as MIL were contacting them for an owed bill. The bill to Shell began appearing on my credit report I paid MIL but Shell is now trying to collect further money from my and my credit score has bottomed out because it looks like I have an unpaid bill now from June to Shell. It's an absolute mess. Is there anything you all would advise? I'm from Canada and am not familiar with how it works and feel taken advantage of.

Nasqueron

catlady197 said:

hannahkaty said:

Hi all,
I live in a rented property, recently moved in (early Mach). Received a letter today which was addressed to 'Owner Occupier'. Wasn't sure if i should open it but did. It was a debt collection letter for Shell Energy from MIL collections. I haven't had an account with Shell Energy, and neither to my knowledge did the previous occupiers as I switched the account from SO Energy. 
I'm not sure what to do about this letter now? There's no name against the debt and it's not mine - i do not want debt collectors turning up at my door trying to collect debt, should i call them up to tell them that whoever's debt it was no longer lives here? Any advice gratefully received. Thanks

I am in the exact situation! I moved into rental accom March 2022, and moved out in June 2023. I constantly got mail for other people and would always write 'return to sender' and drop it back off. My landlord contacted me after I had moved out and said I needed to contact MIL as MIL were contacting them for an owed bill. The bill to Shell began appearing on my credit report I paid MIL but Shell is now trying to collect further money from my and my credit score has bottomed out because it looks like I have an unpaid bill now from June to Shell. It's an absolute mess. Is there anything you all would advise? I'm from Canada and am not familiar with how it works and feel taken advantage of.

Did you have an account with Shell and if so, did you confirm any balance was paid before you left the house e.g. submitting a meter reading, getting a final bill?

Grumpy_chap

catlady197 said:

hannahkaty said:

Hi all,
I live in a rented property, recently moved in (early Mach). Received a letter today which was addressed to 'Owner Occupier'. Wasn't sure if i should open it but did. It was a debt collection letter for Shell Energy from MIL collections. I haven't had an account with Shell Energy, and neither to my knowledge did the previous occupiers as I switched the account from SO Energy. 
I'm not sure what to do about this letter now? There's no name against the debt and it's not mine - i do not want debt collectors turning up at my door trying to collect debt, should i call them up to tell them that whoever's debt it was no longer lives here? Any advice gratefully received. Thanks

I am in the exact situation! I moved into rental accom March 2022, and moved out in June 2023. I constantly got mail for other people and would always write 'return to sender' and drop it back off. My landlord contacted me after I had moved out and said I needed to contact MIL as MIL were contacting them for an owed bill. The bill to Shell began appearing on my credit report I paid MIL but Shell is now trying to collect further money from my and my credit score has bottomed out because it looks like I have an unpaid bill now from June to Shell. It's an absolute mess. Is there anything you all would advise? I'm from Canada and am not familiar with how it works and feel taken advantage of.

You may benefit from starting your own thread, and sharing some additional details.
For starters, who was your energy supplier while you lived at the property?
Did you make necessary payments for energy while at the property?  How?

sourcrates

Grumpy_chap said:

catlady197 said:

hannahkaty said:

Hi all,
I live in a rented property, recently moved in (early Mach). Received a letter today which was addressed to 'Owner Occupier'. Wasn't sure if i should open it but did. It was a debt collection letter for Shell Energy from MIL collections. I haven't had an account with Shell Energy, and neither to my knowledge did the previous occupiers as I switched the account from SO Energy. 
I'm not sure what to do about this letter now? There's no name against the debt and it's not mine - i do not want debt collectors turning up at my door trying to collect debt, should i call them up to tell them that whoever's debt it was no longer lives here? Any advice gratefully received. Thanks

I am in the exact situation! I moved into rental accom March 2022, and moved out in June 2023. I constantly got mail for other people and would always write 'return to sender' and drop it back off. My landlord contacted me after I had moved out and said I needed to contact MIL as MIL were contacting them for an owed bill. The bill to Shell began appearing on my credit report I paid MIL but Shell is now trying to collect further money from my and my credit score has bottomed out because it looks like I have an unpaid bill now from June to Shell. It's an absolute mess. Is there anything you all would advise? I'm from Canada and am not familiar with how it works and feel taken advantage of.

You may benefit from starting your own thread, and sharing some additional details.
For starters, who was your energy supplier while you lived at the property?
Did you make necessary payments for energy while at the property?  How?

Also posting it on the DFW board, would be more appropriate instead of this one.